(19)
(11) EP 1 341 029 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
02.06.2004 Bulletin 2004/23

(43) Date of publication A2:
03.09.2003 Bulletin 2003/36

(21) Application number: 02009700.2

(22) Date of filing: 29.04.2002
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G02F 1/1335, G04G 9/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 01.03.2002 US 87245

(71) Applicant: Fossil, Inc.
Richardson, TX 75082 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Bland, Diarmuid John St. Colum
    Garland, Texas 75044 (US)
  • Brewer, Donald
    Richardson, Texas 75082 (US)

(74) Representative: Frankland, Nigel Howard 
FORRESTER & BOEHMERT Pettenkoferstrasse 20-22
80336 München
80336 München (DE)

   


(54) Improved time piece


(57) A watch face uses liquid crystal displays along with a reflective polarizer to produce backgrounds with selective appearances. Therein, the watch employs a polarizer to produce polarized light that is passed downward to a liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display selectively rotates or does not rotate the polarized light. If the light is rotated, a reflective polarizer layer located beneath the liquid crystal display reflects the rotated light back upward off its surface to provide the watch face with a first color. If the light is not rotated, then the light is transmitted through the reflective polarizer layer to a reflective dial surface disposed beneath. The light is then reflected off the dial surface to provide the watch face with a second color. The present invention includes a watch employing a watch face with selectively changing backgrounds which is capable of displaying two or more colors while having a watch face that has reduced overall thickness and can be made to display unique optical effects and patterns.






Search report